Florida Financial Aid Application

Transcription

1 FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Florida Financial Aid Application Office of Student Financial Assistance 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1314 Tallahassee, Florida

2 FLORIDA FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION CONDITIONS IMPORTANT: RETAIN THESE CONDITIONS FOR YOUR RECORDS. Manage your Account - Use it and Be Responsible for your state financial aid! GENERAL INFORMATION The Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) applies only to scholarships and grants administered by the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA). This application does not apply to scholarships and grants offered by private organizations or other entities in the State of Florida. Students are to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be considered for federal scholarship, grant, or loan programs and certain state-funded scholarships and grants. All applicants must meet deadlines and requirements for each program to become eligible. Students may apply for the programs listed below by the designated deadlines through the Florida Financial Aid Application. This one application applies the student to all of the programs listed below: Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program August 31 José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund April 1 Rosewood Family Scholarship Program April 1 Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans April 1 It is the applicant s responsibility to ensure all required certifications and additional documentation are submitted to OSFA on or before the program deadline. Detailed program information is available on the OSFA website at or by calling toll-free at AWARD AND DENIAL NOTIFICATIONS AND DISBURSEMENT PROCEDURES Following official evaluation of your high school transcripts for program eligibility, a Bright Futures award or denial notification will be posted to your Financial Aid Recipient History screen. Award or denial notifications from other state scholarships and grants are posted in June for: o José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant Fund o Rosewood Family Scholarship Program o Scholarships for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans All funds are sent directly to eligible Florida postsecondary institutions for awarded students. Each postsecondary institution has its own disbursement process. Check with your institution to find out when and how you will receive your scholarship and grant funds. ii

3 CHANGES IN INFORMATION/TRANSFERS BETWEEN INSTITUTIONS Changing your postsecondary institution during the application process is allowed; however, not all state-funded programs can be used at all institutions. You may change your institution at any time during the application process. To view a list of eligible institutions visit the website at and select "Postsecondary Institutions." See links under Eligible Institution Information, and select "By State Program." To update your postsecondary institution, choose "State Programs Home then under Applicant Quick Links, select Update my Demographics. Notify OSFA of postsecondary institution transfer no later than August 1 for term one transfers, December 1 for term two transfers, and February 15 for term three transfers for a timely disbursement. Notices of transfers received by OSFA after these dates may result in funds not reaching the new institution on time. APPEALS Applicants who believe financial aid has been wrongly denied have certain rights to appeal. Applicants may appeal if they believe the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) erred in determining eligibility or in failing to transfer an award. An FDOE appeal is to be filed within thirty days of the date of the notice of ineligibility. If aid is denied for failure to meet state academic progress requirements, applicants may appeal the denial to the institution by providing proof of illness or other emergency beyond the applicant's control. An institutional academic progress appeal is to be filed within thirty days of the denial letter or by the date established by the institution's financial aid office, whichever is later. USE OF THE APPLICANT S SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER (SSN)/NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT The Privacy Act of 1974 requires state agencies to inform applicants of the reasons for requesting their Social Security Number (SSN). The FDOE requests an SSN on all applications for student financial assistance in order to correctly identify applicants, match each applicant's financial aid record with the student record at the postsecondary institution the applicant attends, and help coordinate state student aid programs with federal student aid programs. An applicant will not be denied financial assistance for failure to disclose the SSN. Without an SSN, correct identification of an applicant's record cannot be assured and may result in an error in the award amount or a delay in the disbursement of an award. However, if you do not have or do not wish to provide an SSN, please leave the "Social Security Number" field blank. Our system will generate a Pseudo Number. Pursuant to Section , Florida Statutes, state student financial assistance is provided to eligible applicants without discriminating on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, disability, or marital status. Minority status will be considered when required by law as a condition of eligibility or selection. iii

4 STATE OF FLORIDA - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FLORIDA FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION APPLICANT CERTIFICATION By signing and submitting this application: I certify that I am the applicant named on this application and to the best of my knowledge and belief; the information contained on this application is true, complete, and correct. I understand it is my responsibility to supply accurate information requested on this application and inform OSFA immediately of any changes. I understand that falsification of information in order to receive state financial aid awards is a misdemeanor of the second degree. Retain a completed copy of this application for your records. NOTICE: Applicant's Signature Date If you purposely give false information on this form, you may be subject to fine or imprisonment or both under Section , Florida Statutes. SECTION A: Demographic Information The Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) will initially * communicate using the contact information you supply in this portion of your application. It is your responsibility to supply accurate information. It is your responsibility to use your login credentials to update your demographic information and keep informed of your application process. Should your contact information change, please visit and select Update My Demographics within the Applicant Quick Links. Manage your Account - Use it and Be Responsible for your state financial aid! Questions marked with an asterisk (*) require a response. 1. *Social Security Number (SSN) *Date of Birth: (mm/dd/yyyy) / / SSN Disclaimer: Financial assistance will not be denied for failure to disclose the SSN. However, without an SSN, correct identification of the applicant's record cannot be assured and may result in an error in the award amount or delay in the disbursement of an award. 3. *First Name 4. MI 5. *Last Name 6. *Are you Hispanic or Latino? Yes 1 No

5 *Indicate one or more races below with which you identify: American Indian or Alaska Native Asian Black or African American Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander White Other 7. *Gender: Female Male 8. *Phone Number (at least one phone number is requested) Home Alternate Cell I do not have a phone number. 9. *Mailing Address (alpha-numeric only; no commas or hyphens) (Maximum 30 characters including spaces) 10. Apartment 11. *City 12. *State 13. *Florida County 14. *Zip Code * Address and Alternate Address (OSFA will post all official/award notifications to your online record. Important: To access your account in the future, an may be required.) and Address Alternate Address I do not have an address. To help ensure receipt of , please add OSFA@fldoe.org to your address book or approved senders list. 16. *Is Florida your state of legal residence? Yes No 17. *Citizenship Status: U.S. Citizen Noncitizen Eligible Noncitizen SECTION B: Academic Background, Grade Point Averages, and Test Scores (To be certified by high school/postsecondary institution) 18. *Will you graduate or have you graduated from a Florida high school, Home-Educated Program, or with a GED? Yes No 2

6 19. *If Yes, identify your school type. Public Private Home Education Program GED a. In what district were you registered as a Home-Educated student in the 11 th grade? b. In what district were you registered as a Home-Educated student in the 12 th grade? 20. *If Yes in #18 above, identify the Florida county where you attended high school. 21. *Provide the name of the Florida high school where you will graduate with a high school diploma: Note: If you have already received a high school diploma, provide the name of the Florida high school where the diploma was received. Provide the name of the out-of-state high school last attended: or 22. *High School Graduation Date: (mm/dd/yyyy) / / 23. *In academic year , I will be classified as: Freshman (First time in college) Freshman (With previous college) Sophomore (No previous bachelor s) Junior (No previous bachelor s) Senior (No previous bachelor s) Graduate Student 24. *Provide the location and name of the primary postsecondary institution you are planning to attend. Out-of-State School Your FFAA information may be sent to additional in-state institutions. You may select up to four additional institutions that you are considering attending. 25. *Provide the location and name of the postsecondary institution you last attended. Out-of-State School 3

7 OSFA requests a self-reported approximate Grade Point Average (GPA) to begin your evaluation for State of Florida financial aid programs. Your official GPA will be certified by your high school and/or postsecondary institution prior to an eligibility determination. 26. *Unweighted High School. 27. Weighted High School. GPA (based on a 4.0 scale) GPA (based on a 4.0 scale) 28. College GPA (if applicable). 29. *Some State of Florida financial aid programs require test scores. Report all tests that you have taken or plan to take. OSFA will verify scores through the appropriate test agency. (Check all that apply) SAT ACT PERT Do Not Plan to Test SECTION C: Special Interest Questions 30. a. If you or one of your natural parents are Hispanic-American, or of Spanish culture, with origins in one of the following countries, please select your country from the choices below. Argentina Dominican Republic Panama Belize Bolivia Ecuador El Salvador Paraguay Peru Chile Guatemala Puerto Rico Columbia Honduras Uruguay Costa Rica Mexico Venezuela Cuba Nicaragua None b. If you are awarded a José Martí Scholarship Challenge Grant, do you give the Florida Department of Education permission to release your name, address, phone number, country of origin and postsecondary institution choice to the José Martí Foundation which helps to fund this scholarship? Yes No 31. Are you a dependent child or spouse of a veteran who has been classified as deceased or 100% disabled, Prisoner of War, or Missing in Action by the Department of Veterans Affairs? Yes, Child Yes, Spouse No If the answer is Yes, Child or Yes, Spouse, you are required to answer the following questions by the April 1 program deadline in order to receive an evaluation. If you select I Do Not Know from the Questions (31. b-f.) below, you must provide the requested information by the April 1 program deadline. 4

8 a. *Enter your qualifying veteran s name: First Name MI Last Name b. *What is the qualifying veteran s status? Deceased 100% Disabled I Do Not Know Prisoner of War Missing in Action c. *What is the qualifying veteran s branch of service? Army Coast Guard Navy I Do Not Know Air Force Marine Corps National Guard None d. *Select the military conflict that was in progress at the time your qualifying veteran was affected. None I Do Not Know Korean Conflict Multinational Peace Keeping Force in Lebanon Newfoundland Air Tragedy Operation Eagle Claw, Iranian Rescue Mission Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom Operation Just Cause in Panama Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada Persian Gulf War USS Stark Attack Vietnam Era WWI WWII e. *What state was your qualifying veteran a resident of when initially determined deceased or 100% disabled, Prisoner of War, or Missing in Action? or I Do Not Know f. *Enter your qualifying veteran s Social Security Number, Veteran s Claim Number, or select I Do Not Know. Veteran s Social Security Number or Veteran s Claim Number I Do Not Know g. *Has your parent, child, or sibling been awarded the Scholarship for Children and Spouses of Deceased or Disabled Veterans in the past? Yes No I Do Not Know If Yes, provide the name of a parent, child, or sibling who has received this award. 5

9 32. Are you the descendant of a family member that was affected by the Rosewood incident in Florida during the 1920's? Yes No If the answer is Yes, you are required to answer the following questions by the April 1 program deadline in order to receive an evaluation. Identify your ancestor s name in the field provided. First Name MI Last Name or I Do Not Know If you answer I Do Not Know, you must provide this information to OSFA prior to April 1 to be evaluated for this program. OSFA must receive documentation including, but not limited to: birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, obituaries, and/or church records indicating your relationship to the ancestor s name you have provided. Documents must be sufficient to establish you as a Rosewood descendant. Documentation must be submitted to the address provided at the bottom of this application prior to April 1, 2016, in order to be evaluated for the Rosewood Family Scholarship Program. SECTION D: Releases Sharing information you provide on this application is for the sole purpose of evaluating you for state scholarship eligibility. 33. *I authorize the release of the following available information: high school transcripts/grade point averages; college transcripts/grade point averages; SAT, ACT, or PERT scores to the Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance for use in program evaluations. Yes No (If No is selected, you will not be evaluated for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.) 34. *Have you ever been found guilty of, or entered a plea of nolo contendere to, a felony charge in an adult proceeding (non-delinquency proceeding), and you have NOT been granted clemency by the Governor and Cabinet sitting as the Executive Office of Clemency? Note, a minor child whose delinquent act or violation of law that otherwise qualified as a felony charge which was resolved by an adjudication of delinquency pursuant to section , Florida Statute, shall not be deemed a felony conviction. Yes No (By checking "Yes," you will be determined ineligible for the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.) 6

10 Sign (on page 1) and mail this completed application by the program deadline(s) listed in the Conditions section of this application to the address below. Retain a copy of this signed application for your records. OSFA will enter your Florida Financial Aid Application into the State Student Financial Aid Database upon receipt. You will receive an outlining any additional documents or certification needed to complete your application process. If you do not receive an , please follow the steps below: Access your login credentials by going online to select Application and Updates then Login Here. Access your FARH by selecting View Student Financial Aid History under Applicant Quick Links. A PDF copy of your correspondence will be available in Section VII Correspondence History by selecting the blue hyperlink for that letter. If you need assistance or are unable to complete these steps, call toll-free at To update all demographics and monitor the status of your application, please follow these steps below: Go to and select Update My Demographics, under Applicant Quick Links. To monitor your status, select "Check My Status" under Applicant Quick Links. Award status and notifications are posted to your online record! Manage your Account - Use it and Be Responsible for your state financial aid! Florida Department of Education Office of Student Financial Assistance 325 West Gaines Street, Suite 1314 Tallahassee, Florida